M ach i nes



(No Model.) I

R. W. WHITNEY.

TENSION RELEASE.I'OR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 344,429. Patented June 29, 1886.v

WITNESSES.

ihvirs. TATES ,ATENT FFICEO FUEL \V. VHITNEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO THE \VIliTE SEW ING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TENSlON-RELEASE FOR SEWING-=MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 34%,29, dated June 29.1886.

Application tiled December 7, 1685. Serial No. 131,878. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUEL \V. \VIIITNEY, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tensiol'i-ltelcasers for SewingMaehines; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of tension-releasersthat are operated by the presser-foot lifter, in which a lever has a camon the edge thereof for lifting the press- I 5 er-foot, said leverhaving a hub that is threaded externally and screws into a threaded holein the wall of the head, said hub forming a fulcrum or pivot for thelever, said hub having an axial socket that receives the end of thetension-disk pin, by means of which, when the lever is raised to liftthe presser-foot, by means of the threaded hub, the lever is carriedlaterally and forces the tension-disk pin against the action of thetension-spring and releases 2 the tension-disk, the object being tosimplify and reduce the initial cost of this class of sewingmach-inemechanism.

with these objects in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and in combination of parts hereinafter described,

and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the head ofthe maehine,as seen from the rear when the head is detached,showing theinternal'meehanism with myimprovements attached. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the head, looking at the presser-foot lifter. Fig. 3 is anelevation of the opposite side of the head,looking at the tension-disks.Fig. 4

1,0 is an enlarged elevation in section of thelower portion of the head,being a rear view, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation in section of the tension-disks. Fig. 6 is an eleva tion in section at rightangles to and on the 5 line 00 a, Fig. 4.

A represents the sewing-machine head, B the needle-bar, and C thepresser-bar.

D is an arm with a hub that embraces the presser-bar, to which it issecured by a setscrew, as shown. The left-hand end of the arm, as shownin Fig. 1, is in two parts, that are fastened together by a screw, (1,the ends thereof being separate to embrace a vertical rib on the headfor guiding the arm I). The

vertical rib (see dotted line Y, Fig. l) on the head for guiding the armand the arm madein two parts secured together by a screw for embracingthe rib are of usual and well-known construction. The other end of thearm (1 extends through the slot a in the wall of the head and overhangsthe cam c of the lever E. This lever has a hub, E. (Shown more clearlyin Fig. 4.) This hub is screw-threaded externally, and engages ascrew-threaded hole in the head, by means of which, when theleveriselevated to lift the presser-foot, the lever is drawn by thescrew-thread toward the head. The hub has an axial bore that receivesthe end of the rod F, the outer end of the bore being screw-threaded andprovided with an abutmentscrew, e, for adjusting the rod F endwise. Therod F passes through the opposite wall of the head,and has mountedloosely thereon the tension-disks G and G, the rod havinga head, f,outside the tension-disks.

H is the tension-spring, that is regulated by the thumb-screw l'. Thelower end of the spring H is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 6,tl1e prongsembracing the rod F and engaging a groove in the rod, by means of whichthe action of the spring presses the rod in the direction to tighten thetensiondisks. hen the leverE is turned down, the cam e is out of the wayof the part cl,so that the action of the presser-foot is not interferedwith, and at the same time 5 turning down the lever backs out the hub E,so that the spring H can press the rod F inward and tighten thetension-disks.

The device is simple, durable, and inexpensive.

By my construction the swinging movement of the presser-footliftinglever gives to the le ver a lateral or sidewise movement, by reason ofthe screw-threaded attachment of the same to the head of the maehine,and this lateral 95 movement is increased in proportion to the extentofthe swinging movement by providing a eomparativelyeoarse thread uponthe hub of the lever and in the head.

Anotheradvantzweis that asin 'leholein the head serves as apivot-bearing of the lever and for the support of the end ofthedisk-pin.

What I claim is- 1. In atension-releaser, a disk-pin arrangerconcentrically in, and in combination with, a presser-foot leverprovided with a hub screwthreaded into the head of the machine,substantially as specified.

2. A presser'foot lever having a hub screwthreaded for pivotal mountingin a head and for movement in its bearing, in combination withasewing-maehine head screw-threaded to receive said hub, and withtension-disks and an intermediate disk and lever connecting device,whereby said movement may be utilized in releasing the pressure oftension devices connected therewith, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of tension-disks and a disk-pin with a presser-footlever having a cen-, trally-bored hub for supporting the pin, andinteriorly screw-threaded for an adj ustingscrew for said pin, andexteriorly screwthreaded on a coarser pitch for lateral movement in itsbearing, substantially as specified.

4. In a sewing-machine, the combination,

with the presser-bar and attached arm, a lever, and cam for elevatingthe same, of a screwthreaded hub forming a pivot for the lever, an axialbore in said hub, a tension-disk pin extending into said bore, and anabutment-screw engaging the threaded end of the bore for adjusting thetension-disk pin, the parts being

